Vampire Nocturnus Avatar MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Vanguard
Released	2003-01-01
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Online Avatars
Set code	PMOA
Number	97
Frame	2015
Layout	Vanguard
Border	Black
Illustred by	UDON

Key Takeaways

Vampire Nocturnus thrives in vampire decks, turning top-deck plays into game-changing advantages.
Deck commitment and color-specific mana requirements may limit deck-building flexibility.
Despite its mana cost, its potential makes it a formidable force in the right environment.

Text of card

Play with the top card of your library revealed. As long as the top card of your library is black, black creatures you control get +2/+1.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Vampire Nocturnus is in play, it provides a significant top-of-deck synergy that can effectively dictate the flow of the game. With the top card of your library revealed, each black card drawn can enable the considerable power boost and flying ability for your vampire creatures, contributing to sustained card quality and battlefield presence.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resources, the power spike granted by Vampire Nocturnus often leads to a more efficient use of your existing board, making your creatures far more threatening. This increased threat level can pressure your opponent, potentially leading to a quicker victory and thus, a less resource-intensive game.

Instant Speed: As a creature, Vampire Nocturnus does not function at instant speed. However, its ability to turn an even board state into a winning one can be just as impactful as a well-timed instant. By carefully managing the top of your library, you can craft situations where the Nocturnus grants its bonuses at crucial moments, mimicking the sudden impact instants are known for.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Including Vampire Nocturnus in your deck means adhering to a gameplay style that requires a significant level of resource management. This card demands a full commitment to a vampire-themed deck, which can become a setback if you’re forced to discard other key cards to maintain its dominance on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Vampire Nocturnus demands a precise mana configuration to be cast effectively, needing one black mana plus three others. This specificity narrows the card’s flexibility, potentially creating color mana issues in multicolored decks not heavily focused on black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, this Avatar demands quite the investment for its impact on play. Though it has the potential to be a game-changer, the cost may sometimes outweigh the benefits, especially when compared to other cards with similar or greater impact for the same or less mana investment.

Reasons to Include Vampire Nocturnus in Your Collection

Versatility: Vampire Nocturnus is a powerful asset in black-based vampire decks, lending a significant boost to each vampire’s capabilities with its top-deck mechanic. This card can single-handedly change the tide of a game, making every vampire under your command a more formidable threat.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to grant +2/+1 and flying to other vampires with a black card on top of the library aligns perfectly with synergistic vampire strategies, amplifying the strength of creature-based combos and enhancing board presence.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its considerable influence in games, Vampire Nocturnus holds its ground in various meta environments. It can be particularly disruptive in a meta that favors creature interactions, allowing players to outpace opponents with the sudden surge in power and evasion that it provides.

How to beat

Vampire Nocturnus can be a formidable presence on the battlefield, boosting fellow vampires significantly when a player arranges the top deck strategically. Unlike buffs that apply regardless of deck order, Vampire Nocturnus requires consistent deck monitoring to be most effective. This creature becomes truly menacing when the deck is primed for its power-up, which hinges on the color of the top card of the library.

To counteract the Avatar’s dominance, disrupting the deck’s arrangement proves effective. Playing spells that shuffle the library can remove the top card certainty, thus deactivating the Avatar’s ability. Moreover, cards that offer instant-speed removal can eliminate the threat before the combat phase, mitigating the increased power and toughness its presence grants. Including hand disruption tactics can also prevent the Avatar from making it onto the field in the first place, particularly if your strategy includes discard effects or countermagic.

Diligent board control and a keen eye on graveyard management can ensure that Vampire Nocturnus does not overturn the game in your opponent’s favor. Removal and disruption should be timed wisely to maintain an upper hand against this powerful vampire card.

Cards like Vampire Nocturnus Avatar

Vampire Nocturnus is a prominent figure in the realm of creature cards in MTG, standing out in Vampire-themed decks. It bears a resemblance to other powerful creatures such as Bloodline Keeper, which is also a cornerstone of Vampire synergies. Bloodline Keeper can create additional Vampire tokens, yet it does not provide the same top-deck manipulation that Vampire Nocturnus offers, empowering every Vampire in play with a potential boost.

Considering other relatives in the Vampire family, we discover Lord of Lineage. While not directly enhancing the power and toughness of other Vampires, it does give them a static buff. Nevertheless, it lacks the dynamic top-deck conditions that enable the sweeping power-ups provided by Vampire Nocturnus. Then we look at Captivating Vampire, another entity that bolsters its kin with each tap, though with a focus on control rather than augmenting offensive capabilities as Vampire Nocturnus does.

Ultimately, Vampire Nocturnus carves a unique niche for itself with its blend of deck manipulation and the conditional empowerment of Vampires, setting a high bar for other cards in its archetype within MTG.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vampire Nocturnus Avatar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Avatars, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Vampire Nocturnus Avatar and other MTG cards:

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